GMC

The GMC Truck brand got its start in the early 1900s as the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company, which built one-cylinder commercial trucks. General Motors Corporation bought Rapid along with the Reliance Motor Truck Company, and in 1912, the marque 'GMC Truck' was first shown at the New York International Auto Show. During World War II, GMC Truck produced trucks for the United States, and by the middle of the century, GMC had expanded into producing coaches, transit buses, emergency vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, and motor homes. Between 1962 and 1972, most GMC vehicles were equipped with quad headlights, and Chevrolet trucks were equipped with dual headlights. In 1973, GM’s introduced the 'rounded line' series, which set the standard for the Chevrolet/GMC line of trucks for over 30 years, and sister models from both brands shared most features except trim and sticker price. The year 2007 saw a divergence in style once again between the two brands. GMC's trucks, vans, and SUVs offer more options and standard features than Chevrolet's vehicles, which are positioned as entry-level offerings. Today, GMC remains a venerable automobile manufacturer that produces SUVs, light- to heavy-duty pickup trucks, and vans.

1991 GMC Syclone - Photo by SpeedDemon0388

Sure, it looks like a pickup truck. But don’t try to haul anything except tail, because payload isn’t the Syclone’s strong suit. That’s because GMC conducted a sort of mad science experiment on the Syclone. Taking stock, decidedly un-sporting Sonomas off the line, they dropped a turbocharged V6 under the hood, and then bolted on a high-performance all-wheel drive system. Instead of flipping the switch to awaken some sort of deranged old movie monster, the end result was a triumph vastly superior to the sum of its parts. Genuinely fast, remarkably grippy, the Syclone is a hoot to drive. More to the point, it comes close to outperforming a lot of very expensive, exotic cars of the time while costing a whole ton less—much to the irritation of anyone who’d dropped twice the coin on a slower car. The Syclone is slightly lighter than the similarly modified Typhoon SUV, and while there’s a bit more weight over the front end, it performs essentially the same—which is to say, it’s very fast. While the sport truck segment has grown recently, few are as innovative as this AWD mini-truck, and it will take something pretty wild to dethrone the Syclone as the most insane GMC pickup ever.

1983 GMC Vandura G-1500 - Photo by Brokenvegetable

If the GMC Vandura isn’t the most classic van of all time – and it may well be – it certainly has the coolest name. Be it a work van, party-wagon, or a rig worthy of toting B.A. Baracus and the rest of “The A-Team” around, this half-ton hauler has potential. Tout your best conversion van designs, model your favorite service company or just keep her plain Jane and go hit the track with the NASCAR engine conversion. Now in Forza Motorsport 6 you can trick your Vandura out with even cooler options like a rooftop wing and front spoiler, making the Vandura that more at the ready to serve your next “vantasy.”